Transfer Students

ESPN today officially obtains the rights to the four BCS games currently airing on Fox in a four-year deal estimated at $125M annually. The deal goes into effect in January 2011 and is what NEWSDAY's Neil Best calls a "milestone in the relentless march of major sports events from broadcast to pay TV." ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer: "We expect that the relatively small differential that exists today between broadcast and cable is going to continue to dissipate." The move seems to make sense for all involved, as the BCS currently marks the majority of the college football content on Fox, while ESPN's coverage of the sport is far more comprehensive. One thing to watch -- how will the deal affect ESPN editorially, especially when it comes to the net's discussions of a potential college football playoff system? COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS' Pete Fiutak warns fans to “be prepared for any and all critical thought when it comes to BCS discussion to be gone" from the ESPN family of networks.